RIO: Sleepy Hollow, the Next Generation
by Kraft58
Summary: After telling the Legend of Sleepy Hollow to his family, Blu finds that Tulio is taking everyone to the valley under the same name, however Blu quickly learns that the legend might hold some truth to it, and he finds himself locked in a spiritual struggle against the Headless Horseman. But with no one believing him, will he be able to survive, or will he share Ichabod's fate?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

_This is a story that has been going around in my head for a while, and I am not sure how long it will take to write with all my reviews demanding my time. So I thought I should do it now and save myself some time. This is a Halloween story, separate from either saga I've written. It focuses on a re-telling of the infamous Legend of Sleepy Hollow which I think is one of the best ghost stories ever written. So hope you enjoy :)_

_P.S. All credit for the original story goes to the original author... I am not taking credit for his work._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The sound of galloping hoofbeat travelled across the still autumn darkness cast forth under a sliver of moon which almost seemed to be drowned out by the forest overhead. The lonely schoolmaster kicked his horse in the ribs, and ever so nervous clutched his hands tighter around the reins of the saddle strap. His eyes scanned the darkness, remembering the legends he heard about the valley earlier that evening. Those memories now plagued his imagination, forming nightmarish apparitions on both sides of the trail… but the one he hoped not to run into, continued to creep into his mind… especially now that he rode into its territory.

Ichabod Crane sat looking a sore sight. He looked almost like a miser. Skinny and unkempt even for the time. His large nose twitched as his fear continued to grow, his cap hung loose upon his head, bobbing this way and that as it became jolted by the horse he rode upon. Often, he would swallow hard and shift his attention as his peripheral vision caught sight of another shadow sweeping across the area. He hoped against hope that these visions rested only within his imagination, and wasn't some wayward spirit out to whisk him away.

But then, he heard it!

The sounds of galloping hooves creeping up from behind, followed by an almost demonic laugh. Ichabod kicked his horse, Gunpowder, in the ribs again, hoping to pick up the pace. But the horse refused to move. Its eyes remained transfixed, almost glassy and trans like upon a figure emerging from the darkness. The dark figure riding upon horseback, laughed, and within seconds both horse and rider lost all courage and sprinted for their lives. Ichabod rode for his very life, forgetting to loo back, lest it be the figure he heard about… the spirit who haunted not just the valley but the region beyond, the hessian soldier whose head had been carried away by a stray cannonball in some nameless battle of the Revolutionary War, who now wanted nothing more than to take his head.

Yes, Ichabod rode like the wind, but no matter how hard he tried, he could hear his pursuer's horse gaining speed. The dreaded sound of the metal horseshoes making contact with the ground filled him with the utmost of fear. He could almost feel the hot breath across the back of his neck. He could imagine the pain of his head being separated from his body. He kicked the horse for a third time and shifted directions, heading left down a fork in the road. This fork would lead him to a bridge just off from sacred ground where the community church sat. That would be his gain for he knew that the horseman could never cross it. This bridge would be his only salvation.

"Hike, Gunpowder, hike!" Ichabod encouraged his horse, lashing at the strap in his hands to indicate the great urgency. The horse needed no second bidding. It sprinted faster, terrified in its own right of the demon who gave chase. Its eyes widened in horror and reflected the mood of his master. It whinnied as it made a last ditch effort to get to that damn bridge. Neither horse nor rider, ever stopped, ever rested, not until they felt the wood of the bridge underneath their feet.

Ichabod let out a heartfelt sigh of relief and turned attention to peer at his pursuer. In a blinding flash of light, Ichabod fell to the ground and watched his horse vanish upon the night to terrified too stay behind. Ichabod's last hope, died away as the horse vanished from sight This was the last recorded evidence of the man called Ichabod Crane, for by morning, all they found was a horse drained of colour, and the whites of its eyes telling about the encounter from the previous night. Any search provided no clues, except a small saddle and the schoolmaster's hat resting beside a smashed pumpkin. To the residents they knew, that the schoolmaster, the man named Ichabod Crane had been spirited away by the resident ghost, leaving behind the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and a mystery upon the ages.

Blu opened his eyes as Linda closed the paperback covers of the old novella and placed it back on the shelf, around him, Jewel, and the children all seated themselves and pondered about the story for several moments. Blu could feel a certain warmth in his heart beginning to grow as the nostalgia settled in. Even after all the years of hearing that story, it still held a mystical power over him, which often made him wonder if there was a certain truth to it. Jewel however was less than impressed.

"You don't actually believe that stuff, do you, Blu?" Jewel rolled her eyes. "I mean, who can take that story seriously, there's a horseman without a head, who throws pumpkins, and spirits people away. Every single word of it is just complete garbage and sounds fake."  
Blu shrugged his wings and formed an awkward smile. "I don't know. I know Sleepy Hollow is a real place, its just an hour outside of New York City, and several characters were based on actual people of the time period. Maybe the horseman is real as well."

"Oh please," Jewel frowned. "There are no such things as ghosts."

"Well, this is the time of year," Blu corrected, pointing a wing at a bunch of Halloween decorations hanging throughout the Brazilian book store. "You never know, something may just surprise you."

No sooner had Blu spoken did Tulio walk in and seat himself upon the couch. He eyed Linda and wrapped his arm around her.

"So, Linda, did you reveal your little surprise to Blu yet?" He asked.

Blu cocked his head to one side, and peered at Linda more than a little curious. Linda shook her head and wiped a hand through his feathers.

"No," she replied, "but Blu, remember how we always used to read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Tulio and I thought it might be fun if we all took a trip out there for Halloween. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to see things the way Ichabod did during his lifetime."

Blu nodded his head and turned back to peer at Jewel. "See, what did I tell you, some things have a way of surprising you."


	2. Chapter 2

_******Author's** Notes:_

I'm sorry this is so short, but this isn't supposed to be as long as the other stories I've done, it's just a very quick project. Don't worry we're going to get into the actual story soon enough. Next chapter, we're going to the infamous village.

* * *

_**Chapter 2:**_

The warm tropical breeze kissed the sky as the evening air began to set in. The sky became lost in a vibrant mixture of orange and scarlet, which darkened as each second ticked by, carried forth as the sun gradually began to get lower upon the horizon. With the dying light, came a usual calm and silence, tonight would have been no different, had it not been for a spix macaw who flew through the sky at top speed.

Blu could not hold in his excitement. He dove through the air, picking up speed and performing barrel rolls as he cheered and laughed with glee. The wind brushed through his feathers, feeling warm and pleasant, the type of breeze he'd come to expect from his new home. The tropical climate heightened his senses, bringing him to a whole new level of joy, never before experienced by the young bird.

"I can't believe, we're actually going to Sleepy Hollow." He said turning to see Jewel and the kids hovering a short distance away.

"We know…" Jewel rolled her eyes. "You've always wanted to go there. You've told us thirteen times already."

Blu felt the temperature in his face rise. His shy awkward self began to emerge again as he noticed Jewel's sour mood for the first time. In that moment he knew that Jewel didn't really care or share his interest in such places. Her heart belonged to the city of Rio de Janeiro. He couldn't blame her. She didn't have the nostalgia that he did, and he knew in many ways they were very different from one another.

Within seconds he flew to her side, he hung his head low, hoping to avoid her sapphire eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jewel asked, rather taken aback by Blu's statement.

"You know, for going on about the whole Sleepy Hollow thing, even though I could see that you aren't overly interested in it. I feel selfish… I mean… uh… um… stupid, Blu, quit being so stupid."

Blu drummed a talon against his beak.

"Listen, Pet." Jewel started, holding out a talon to stop him. "I don't want you to give up your interests just because we don't believe in the same things. Just be yourself. I'll get used to the whole Halloween thing, even if I do find it to be a bit weird."

"Well, you'll have to know a song then." Blu grinned. "It is a Halloween tradition for me and Linda."

Blu puffed out his chest, and proceeded into the little ditty.

"_You're all alone on a Halloween Night.  
You hear a moan, and know that something ain't right  
Dead men in black, ghostly women in white_

_The headless horseman is a terrible sight.  
And now your scared yeah, too scared to swallow, _

_because there's something spooky in  
Sleepy Hollow… _

_Now you're running but the monsters won't stop  
They see you coming, and you're ready to drop.  
Dead Men in Black, ghostly women in white_

_The headless horseman is a terrible sight…_

_You tried to hide but they always follow.  
Because there's something spooky in, Sleepy Hollow.  
Sleepy Hollow-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh  
Sleepy Hollow."  
_  
Blu spun around and spread his wings, finishing off the last few words of his song. Jewel just stared in complete shock, saying nothing. Her eyes simply remained wide as she contemplated what she just saw and heard. She'd never seen Blu, this confident, or carefree all at the same time. It was almost like he was a totally different bird.

"What is it?" Blu asked, noticing the awkward look on her face.

"Um, nothing, it's good, I guess." Jewel admitted.  
"Not as good as Samba though?" Blu finished.

"I didn't say that," Jewel smiled.

'No, but you were thinking it."

Blu lurched forward as Jewel shoved him playfully with her wing. She winked at him and let her smile widen a little bit.

"Come on, Blu, let's go home. I'm sure you're looking forward to tomorrow, when we meet up with Linda and go to the air port."

# # #

The first few rays of the morning sun stretched over the city of Rio de Janeiro just as Blu, Jewel, and the chicks all landed in front of Linda's book store. Tulio sat on the front step, digging a large carving knife into the innards of a round pumpkin. He mumbled to himself, sticking out his tongue as he concentrated on his work. Blu watched the festivity going on with a keen interest, wondering just what kind of design the crazy ornithologist had in store.

Jewel cocked her head as she studied the mess of pumpkin guts landing on the newspaper set out a short distance away. She shuddered at the gruesome sight. "Blu, just what is he doing?"

"He's carving a Jack o' lantern." Blu explained.

"A what?" Jewel asked.

"It's what you call a carved pumpkin. It's a decoration that is really cool. On Halloween night, you'll stick a candle inside, and the carving on the pumpkin begins to glow like the moon."

"You can make a pumpkin into a lantern?" Jewel asked, disbelieving her mate. "Do all humans do this?"

"Most of them." Blu explained. "Though in some places, they use turnips or cloves of garlic. In fact, the original jack o' lantern was a turnip, it only became a pumpkin when the settlers moved to America and pumpkins were one of the native plants."

Blu turned around as he finished speaking and noted Jewel's confused face. She leaned inwards, her eyes wide and rather impressed with his knowledge.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Jewel admitted. "I love when you get all technical."

The sound of the alert bell sounded as the front door opened. Blu looked up to see Linda standing over him.

"Good morning, Blu." She smiled. "Are you ready to go to the airport?"

Blu squawked a reply, and Linda placed him into a carrying cage. "Don't worry, we'll be there before you know it."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Notes:**_

_I'd like to thank Ricardo the Black Hawk, for letting me use his OC Ricardo, I try not to borrow any characters unless I have a good plan for them. **  
**_

* * *

Chapter 3:

The cargo compartment felt uncomfortably cramped. Large crates piled high on both sides of the room, adding an almost dungeon feel to the entire thing. The turbines heated the room, making the trip that much more unbearable… and worse of all. Even after a full week of commercial flight, Jewel still couldn't find herself comfortable enough to relax, or lower her guard. She still didn't trust humans, and she certainly didn't trust their machines.

Blu wrapped his wing around her. His black beak leaned in and planted a kiss upon her beak. Jewel shuddered and pulled back, shifting her attention towards the cargo hatch. She wished that it would open, offering even the tiniest breeze so she could feel the air against her wings again. Before Blu could react, she seated herself and let out a sigh.

"How long do you think it'll be before we reach our destination?" She asked. "I don't like it in here."

"I don't blame you," Blu replied. "The last time we were in something like this, we were being smuggled out of Rio, and you hurt your wing. But… it shouldn't be much longer. I think we should arrive later today."

Jewel forced a confident smile, though her eyes betrayed her real mood. "I hope so."

True to Blu's word, the plane soon lurched to a screeching halt, like a roller coaster coming to a sudden stop. A few minutes later the cargo hatch opened, and both macaws found themselves staring in awe at the first few beams of sunlight they'd seen in a week. Blu watched as two men picked up the crates and handed it to Tulio who waited patiently.

"There you go, Doctor Monteiro." One of them said.

"Ah, thank you, Amigo." Tulio replied, peering down at the cage. "Are you two ready to see the sights of the village? We're only an hour's drive away."  
Both macaws nodded and Tulio continued.

"Very good," he said excitedly. "Let's go…"

# # #

The village of Sleepy Hollow rested within the innards of a small valley, lost forever in time. It rested an hour outside the hustle and bustle of New York City, along the rim of the Hudson River. The morning sun peered over the trees, coating the valley in a golden dust accustomed to the autumn season. At the edge of town, an old stone church stood tall and proud. This was the first sight that Blu saw.

Blu recalled the old legend. The church, the sacred ground which the horseman could never tread upon, still stood. Its greyish stone bricks formed the wall, stretching up to a point of a proud bell tower. Whether or not the cast iron bell still hung in there, was anyone's guess, but Blu imagined that it was, even if there was no proof of such things. His eyes widened, as he took in the sight. At the edge of the sacred ground, a large cemetery sat… he recalled another part of the legend. Somewhere in this cemetery, rested an unmarked grave, where a hessian soldier (who had lost his head by a stray cannonball in some nameless battle of the Revolutionary War) rested. This soldier, sparked the legend in the first place as the Headless Horseman, who roamed the woods on Halloween Night, looking for a head.

Blu's jaw dropped, he could only utter a single word as he became transfixed even more on the sight. "Wow!"

"So this is the church?" Jewel asked. "This is where Ichabod Crane tried to get too."

"Yeah," Blu nodded. "It's almost haunting isn't it?"

Blu turned his attention to the village itself. An eerie silence hung about. He repeated the first description of the village found in Washington Irving's book.

"It is almost like an old spell of solitude hung over the village and all its inhabitants. A friendly sort, should you mind your way and not cause problems." Blu nodded his head. "Well, I think I can feel the solitude. I don't think I've ever heard anything so quiet, and peaceful."

Jewel nodded her head. "It's true, it's almost like it's the middle of the night. But no crickets are chirping… what kind of place is this?"

"Maybe the book does have some truths to it." Blu admitted. "I would say the descriptions of the church and the village are accurate."

"But there is still no such things as ghosts." Jewel piped in. "There is no horseman wondering this place."

Blu swallowed hard. "I hope you're right."

"I am, Blu." Jewel grinned. "There is no horseman."

"Well there is one way to know for sure." Blu grinned, almost mockingly. "We can go and search for him."

Before Jewel could respond, Blu squawked, catching Linda's attention. She handed him a small notepad, and a pencil. The macaw wrote something for a moment and handed the piece of paper back to her.

"I'll meet you at the hotel, can me and Jewel go exploring?" Linda read aloud. She peered at Blu and nodded her head. "Of course, just be careful. We'll meet you later."

Linda undid the latch of the carrier, and let Blu and Jewel head off on their own. She smiled, and watched the macaws take off into the sky, in the direction of a forested area, just on the other side of the church.

# # #

A couple of minutes later, Blu and Jewel flew over the heavily forested area, the thick canopy of trees blocked off any glimpse of the ground… he could recall the words of Ichabod, how he'd been unable to see the moon, and that very little light descended upon the forest. This darkness helped to fuel his imagination, catching nightmarish apparitions which he'd hoped was nothing more than just his imagination and not some wayward spirit, particularly the headless horseman who he'd heard about earlier that evening. Everything rang true to Irving's book, the description seemed unnaturally canny, even after all this years.

"Let's go lower…" Blu let out a pain screech as he felt two sharp talons dig into his back. He fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. He groaned and peered up to a large hawk, standing over him.

"That didn't tickle," Blu cringed. "Who are you?"

The hawk didn't reply right away, he eyed Jewel who came in for a landing. "The name is Ricardo."


End file.
